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This sounds like a throwaway response, but I mean it. Every book I've read has changed my life. Even if the book doesn't stick with me for the long haul, it's impacting my life at that moment.

Atlas Shrugged caused me to end a relationship when my ex said he wouldn't read a book that long. Superfudge made me want to be a writer. The Cat Ate My Gymsuit was given to me by the author, Paula Danziger, at a Young Authors' Conference, and it was like I'd met the Beatles. Beowulf was the first book I hated, and I loathed that feeling. The next time I read it, I fortunately thought it was brilliant. Billy Budd taught me that great literary works just sometimes aren't so great (and that you can write an A essay stealing bits about "light and dark imagery" from the Cliff's Notes). Even Scarlett, by Alexandra Ripley, was a truly horrid book, but it still had such lush descriptions of Ireland, it inspired me to pay a visit.

If you're really asking me to pick the greatest literary work, then I don't know. I guess I'm not willing to choose.

I can agree with the C.S. Lewis books - they were one of the first I read. I can also say, along with those, the hobbit (my parents read it to me very young and I've never forgotten it!)... and then in grade 6-8, LOTR and Watership down became my refuge from the world... among a bunch of others, but I remember those distinctly.

And for sure, the whole Bunnicula series. We had a book fair in elementry school, and I bought the entire series for myself, instead of selling it to anyone else...

More recently, I can't say many books have influenced me... Other than the foundational books, I've read so many, they tend to just blend together. I guess I'd have to pick some of the philosophy books, or pseudo philosophy like Rand.

(Many of the books talked about here bring back memories... I had no idea how deep they ran till now... I'm kind of shocked. I remember reading A Wrinkle in Time when I was very young, and having my mom explain it to me. I remember the science magazines my grandmother used to collect, and I remember her explain them to me then too. Almost all my connections to my family seem to hover around books. Just recently, my dad dropped off a bunch of audiobooks for me... amazing I never realized it... /F)

I can't even explain what these books meant to me. They are single handedly responsible for me wanting being able to write. Anyone who has children should get these books... and that's something I can't say about any other book out there.

(Beware the white celery... bewarrrre. And I loved Harold... and the steak... oh yes... AHHHHHHH...... I'm going to have to get the series again now...)

I can't even explain what these books meant to me. They are single handedly responsible for me wanting being able to write. Anyone who has children should get these books... and that's something I can't say about any other book out there.

(Beware the white celery... bewarrrre. And I loved Harold... and the steak... oh yes... AHHHHHHH...... I'm going to have to get the series again now...)

I've mentioned them to friends before, and nobody knows what I'm talking about!

I picked up the first Bunnicula book at one of those RIF (Reading Is Fun!) things that came through school... It was way better than the next year's Beverly Cleary (though I'll own up to having liked Ralph S. Mouse).